My husband and would like to get a dog and I would like to know peoples experiences with different breeds.

I love Greyhounds however after weeks of me trying convince him that they are fantastic my husband does not want one. He would prefer a Lab or collie.

I am a firm believer in getting a rescue dog rather than buying a puppy.

We would like a medium size dog preferably with shortish fur, nice temperament and good companion. He will be left alone sometimes so I will need an independent breed too. Any idea which breed or mix of breeds would suit us best?

well labs are good dogs but a bit dim.
greyhounds are quite dosile but not my cup of tea.
always had a soft spot for spanials TBH

i have a german shepherd called Beau! she was a rescue and has alot of complexes.

shes really love able though, and so cute when she has bad dreams!

shes abit on the dumb side.. but usually GS's are very intellegent dogs. she can be intellegent when she wants to be though! they are very loving dogs.

unfortunatly because Beau was mistreated as a baby, she isnt as big as usual GS's .. shes like a toy GS lol

shes lovely tho my little baby. and soft as a brush!

and she loves a good swim!!

Ive had a few breeds in the past, but think the Staffies have one of the best temprements.

They are not small, but not too big either (dont kill you when the DEMAND to sit on your knee), are of average inteligence (but deceptively crafty), and are one the most loyal companions you could ever wish for.

Brilliant around kids (dispite popular belief), fine when left on their own as long as they have a toy, and dont need too much walking.

Just be carefull about black/brown ones in the summer. They have a tendancy to over heat so always take water. And some cant swim too good (one of mine can just swim, the other one would swim all day if he was allowed).

Staffies are great dogs but I've also found them to be bad with other dogs. Mine and my sisters always had to be walked late at night and never let off the lead when there was other dogs around. Although they were fine with each other.
But incredibly loyal and Friendly animals.

Springer spaniel best dogs in the world. Real friendly to.. though my nan n grandads one was scared of cats lol

i hate dogs, they bite....hard!

Nice GS Kay!

Cazz, how long are these periods? I'd say anything more than 4-5 hours is too long, don't fall into the trap of getting a dog to be there for you when IMO you should be there for it.

I these periods are shorter there is stuff to keep dogs occupied and comfortable like giving them something with your smell and toys which you can put peanut butter inside and the dog will try to get it.

Look up a few breeds and see what suits your needs, many need more exercise than folks think so unless you have a bit of time to spare I'd think it was cruel to have a dog.

Liam

cazz said:

My husband would like to get a dog

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careful, once he gets used to having an obedient faithful bitch around the house you might be made redundant!

jug said:

careful, once he gets used to having an obedient faithful bitch around the house you might be made redundant!

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Ouch! thats a bit uncalled for!

Other than that thanks for all the help guys we are thinking of getting a lab cross we are visiting the RSPCA rescue centre this weekend to talk to the staff and see what they say. We are not going into this lightly and understand that a dog needs constant companionship and he will not be left for more than 4 hours and will have toys and the run of the garden to keep him entertained in the mean time.

i like black labs and chocolate labs- really loyal and dumb and great all round. Mrs used to a staff cross, it was more staff than anything but never knew what it was crossed with. I think it was crossed with an agrophobic.

I would really like a bassett hound- like a hush puppy, but dont think we'll be getting a dog for sometime yet.

I have also found, through mates who have had them, that mongrels (or a heinz 57 as they are called round our way!) tend to have less health problems, are 10 times smarter than a pedigree, and are just as loyal.

Although just remembered, one of my mates had a mongrel that was a bit dim, but was a cool dog

cazz said:

Ouch! thats a bit uncalled for!

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sorry, reading it back it sounds a lot harsher than i intended